Babiana tubiflora (L.f.) Ker Gawl.

General Growth Form

Babiana tubiflora is a perennial species that grows 7–15 cm (2.8–5.9 in) tall, emerging from an underground globular corm at the start of its growing season.

Stem Characteristics

Its stem is covered in dense white velvety hairs, and unlike almost all other Babiana species, it lacks the fibrous collar at the point where it emerges from the ground. It often produces slender runners to carry out vegetative reproduction.

Leaf Shape and Size

Its leaves are linear to lance-shaped, 3–6 mm (0.12–0.24 in) wide, and may be smooth or sparsely hairy.

Leaf Structure

The leaf blade is laterally compressed, meaning it has right and left surfaces rather than upper and lower surfaces, and is pleated: leaf surfaces abruptly change angle repeatedly at each vein location.

Floral Bract Dimensions

Each flower is subtended by two bracts that measure 35–60 mm (1.4–2.4 in) long.

Bract Morphology

The outer bract is two to four times as long as the inner bract, and clasps the inner bract. Both bracts are covered in velvety hairs, are green except for their dry brown tips, and the inner bract is only forked at its tip.

Inflorescence Traits

The inflorescence usually holds six to twelve scentless, whitish, bilaterally symmetric flowers.

Perianth Tube Structure

The flowers have a fused perianth tube that is 60–80 mm (2.4–3.1 in) long, rarely reaching as short as 45 mm (1.8 in) or as long as 100 mm (3.9 in), with six tepal lobes.

Tepal Lobe Features

The tepal lobes are narrower near their base. The dorsal tepal lobe is only slightly larger than the other lobes, at 18–23 mm (0.71–0.91 in) long.

Lower Tepal Markings

The three lower tepals are 3–4 mm (0.12–0.16 in) wide, and often bear a small, roughly heart-shaped pink to raspberry red marking.

Stamen Characteristics

The three stamens are crowded under the dorsal tepal, with curved filaments 13–16 mm (0.51–0.63 in) long, topped by anthers 4–5 mm (0.16–0.20 in) long.

Ovary and Style Structure

The ovary is hairless, topped by a long, thread-like style that splits into three 3–4 mm (0.12–0.16 in) long branches opposite the upper half of the anthers, or slightly above the anther tips.

Flowering Period

Flowers bloom from August to usually mid-September, and occasionally into early October.

Distribution Range

Babiana tubiflora occurs in the Western Cape province of South Africa, found inland around Piketberg and Darling, and along the coast between Lambert's Bay at its northwestern limit and Stilbaai to the southeast.

Pollination Mechanism

It is pollinated by the long-tongued fly Moegistorhynchus longirostris.

Self-Fertilization Trait

Unusually for a Babiana species, self-fertilization results in high seed development; this trait is only known to be shared with B. ringens in this genus.

Seed Maturation Timeline

Seeds of this species take approximately three years to grow into mature, flowering plants.

Habitat Preferences

This species grows in sandy strandveld and fynbos habitats on coastal flats and dunes.

Distribution Metrics

It has a distribution area of 47,000 km² (18,000 mi²) and is known from more than ten locations that are not highly fragmented.

Threat Drivers

The species is declining due to substantial habitat loss caused by agricultural expansion, coastal development, and urban development.

Local Extinction Records

It has been lost locally in several areas, most prominently on the Cape Flats.

Disturbance Tolerance

While the species is tolerant of severe disturbance, coastal development continues, and habitat loss in this region is irreversible.

Conservation Status

The species is currently not considered threatened, is classified as a least-concern species, but requires ongoing monitoring.